S01 E01 - Trouble at Tresendar Manor Part 1

Synopsis
In this original story by DM Kat Kruger, the Dames find themselves on the search for some missing gnome brothers. They team up with Sildar Hallwinter and make haste to ol' Tresendar Manor. But first, some goodies from that wacky guy they saved in the last adventure!

Back in Phandalin
In the Stonehill Inn, Lord Eric Merryweather bestows gifts upon the Dames for helping him get back to Phandalin after getting lost in the Crooked Forest. He gives Rose Lao a wand of conducting, Riot Bonezerker a pot of awakening, and Nevar Moor an instrument of illusions. Lord Merryweather provides each of them a room and they turn in for the night.

They awake the next morning to a commotion at the town hall. When they arrive, Sildar Hallwinter is trying to form a search party to look for the Banik brothers, a family of missing gnome construction workers who were restoring the Tresendar Manor. Ronwil Banik, the only brother who escaped, claims there is a dragon-like monster somewhere below the manor. Rose accepts the quest without a second thought.

Tresendar Manor
Sildar guides the Dames to the Tresendar Manor, an old estate on the east side of Phandalin that is in a state of disrepair. When asked who owns the building, he informs them that a half-orc merchant by the name of Olf Undercroft visited the town recently, trying to stake claim the manor, but he has since left.

The Dames walk into the kitchen and Nevar notices a door that seemed untouched by time. Cautiously, Rose throws a petrified piece of food, later named a chet, at the door to see if it is trapped but nothing happens. Sildar walks through first and it opens up to two sets of stairs leading down to a cellar. When they get to the bottom, a gate closes behind them. Nevar inspects the gate and it has a card that says "Sniv's Traps & Tunnels" and a sign that says "Under New Management."

Tricks and Traps
They enter the musty storage room and see a cistern, kegs and barrels on the ground, a two doors: one between the staircases and the other to the right of the cistern. Riot tosses a chet at the door by the cistern and Rose drops a stone into the cistern. The water in the cistern immediately starts to froth and Nevar sees that there is movement and shimmering objects below the water's surface. Six quippers are swimming around.

Leaving the fish, they go through the door by the cistern and walk into a makeshift barracks with barrels of rotting food and eyes peering out from the dark corners of the room. They determine the eyes belong to rats and make a quick exit.

The Dames then go through the door by the stairs, which leads into a long hallway. The hallway has footprints in dust that belong to booted humanoids and small reptilian feet. At the end of the corridor are double doors and the middle of the hallway has a section of tiles missing and fresh dirt has been put there.

Riot and Rose proceed down the hallway toward the door and they trip a trap that causes a net to fall and, as it does, a series of bells ring. Rose is able to move out of the way, but Riot is trapped under the net. It causes a burning sensation on Riot's skin.

PCs

 * Nevar Moor played by Essie Hollman
 * Riot Bonezerker played by Jen Vaughn
 * Rose Lao played by Meris Mullaley

NPCs

 * Lord Eric Merryweather
 * Ronwil Banik, Gnome
 * Sildar Hallwinter played by Brittni Liyanage

Visited

 * Phandalin
 * Stonehill Inn
 * Tresendar Manor



Quotes

 * "Jen, the player, notices Meris got something cool, Essie got a mystery, and Jen got a responsibility." - Jen Vaughn (7:25)
 * "You did a really great job finding Lord Merryweather. Do you have interest in joining me and joining the search party and checking out the manor?" - Sildar Hallwinter; and, without a second thought: "Absolutely" - Rose Lao; "That was easy" - Sildar Hallwinter (15:32)
 * "What would you like to do when you get there?" - Kat Kruger; "Have regrets" - Meris Mullaley (18:29)
 * "You know what nymphs love? Having someone throw a rock through their window" - Riot Bonezerker (33:44)

Trivia

 * Rose Lao throws the first chet
 * The Trouble at Tresendar Manor cover that Jen Vaughn drew for this adventure is in homage of Spanish comic artist, Esteban Maroto.